Effect of Coprecipetation Conditions on Fe0.5Mn0.5CO3 Na-ion Cathode Precursor Properties
Jere Leinonen
University of Oulu
Layered transition metal oxides are an attractive material for Na-ion batteries because of the possibility to use abundant and cheap materials like Fe, Mn, and Na2CO3. However, scientific literature on the effect of coprecipitation parameters on Fe containing cathode precursor materials is lacking. Herein we discuss the effect of pH, temperature, and stirring rate on particle size distribution, tap density, surface area, and morphology for the Fe0.5Mn0.5CO3 precursor. Higher temperature favors the formation of larger particles. Highest tap densities between 1.8-1.9 g/ml were achieved at 60 °C. Particles with usually preferred D50 of ≈10 μm were achieved when temperature was around 40–50 °C. The effect of pH on particle size and tap density is not simple. Even higher stirring rate (>1200 rpm) than what is possible with our experimental setup is preferred to prevent agglomeration. Further research should be done on coprecipitation of Fe1-xMnxCO3 precursors.
